


Even at my worst, I'm best with you

by kingsofeverything



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Inspired by Friends (TV), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:14:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21894214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingsofeverything/pseuds/kingsofeverything
Summary: Louis thinks Harry knows he's going to propose and tries to throw him off by insisting he's not interested in marriage. It backfires.Based on Monica and Chandler's proposal from Friends.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 32
Kudos: 256
Collections: 28 Proposals Fic Fest





	Even at my worst, I'm best with you

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Nic always ❤️
> 
> **If you’d like to translate any of my fics, feel free, but please post the translation on ao3.**
> 
>   
> **Please do not post this fic or any of my other fics on any other websites.**  
> 

“You’ve got the ring?” Niall asks and Louis slaps his hand over Niall’s mouth.

“Yes,” Louis hisses. “I’m not stupid, Niall. Everything’s set. Just need Harry to hurry up so we’re not late for our reservation.”

“Where are you taking him again?” 

“The Grove. It’s his favorite restaurant. And it’s where we, um… It’s where we were when I  _ knew, _ you know?” Louis bites his lip, remembering that night. They were out for one of their first official dates, long after they’d started sleeping together, but before they’d decided to be serious and exclusive. It was Louis’ plan that night to ask Harry to be his boyfriend, and he did, though he almost forgot because Harry reached across the table to steal a bite of his steak and Louis realized that, not only didn’t he mind Harry sneaking bites of his food from his plate, he wanted Harry to do so for the rest of their lives. 

Niall nods knowingly, then points past Louis towards the bedroom. Louis glances over his shoulder, then turns to fully face Harry, who looks as beautiful as always, if not moreso. His dark curls brush the collar of his barely buttoned shirt, and already Louis can’t wait to get him out of his clothes. “Ready to go, baby?” Louis asks, and pats his jacket pocket before he can stop himself. “Don’t want to be late.”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Harry presses a kiss to Louis’ cheek and whispers, “Love you.”

“Right, well!” Niall claps loudly and makes a shooing motion with both hands. “Out of here, both of you!”

Harry frowns and says, “You get out of here. It’s our apartment.”

“True, true,” Niall agrees, but he doesn’t make a move to leave and Louis isn’t in the mood to argue, so he cups Harry’s elbow and gives it a little squeeze.

“See you tomorrow, Niall,” Louis says, eyes wide as he jerks his head towards the door. That gets him moving and when they lock the door, it’s with Niall in the corridor and not inside their apartment. 

The restaurant is dimly lit with small round tables scattered throughout the dining area, almost every one set up for couples to enjoy an intimate dinner for two. The host shows them to a table in the corner and Louis waits for Harry to choose his seat before sitting across from him with his back to the rest of the room. Just the way he likes it, so his focus is all on Harry. 

He’s got it all planned out. The ring is in his pocket and he’ll slip the little velvet box onto the table after they finish the meal, but before the dessert course. That way, if Harry wants to get out of there and go home for a private celebration, they can take their cake to go. Surreptitiously, Louis pats his pocket again. 

“Harry, I, um…” Louis starts, leaning in and taking Harry’s hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of Harry’s knuckles. “Did you know that this is where we were when I first realized I was in love with you?”

“Oh my god,” Harry says, eyes widening in surprise, and Louis grins, thinking that Harry is catching on. “Andrew.”

“No.” Louis huffs quietly. “Louis. Andrew is your ex.”

“No, Louis.” Harry pastes a smile on his face and raises his voice. “Andrew! Hi!” 

Louis whips his head around, and at the table right behind him is Andrew, Harry’s taller, more successful, but thankfully not better looking, ex. 

“Harry!” Andrew says, stepping closer to their table so that he towers over them. He reaches his hand out as if to shake Harry’s, but Louis has to let go of it first. He closes his eyes and takes a breath. When he blinks his eyes open, Andrew extends his hand towards him and says, “Louis. How nice to see you again.”

“Likewise,” Louis replies, though he’d honestly rather see anyone else, even Niall at this point, and he’s pretty sure it’s clear from his tone of voice. 

“If you’d like, sirs,” the host interrupts and gestures to the table behind Louis. “We can seat you all together.”

“Sure!” Harry practically yells, standing and helping the host move the tables around before Louis can object. 

Andrew introduces them to his date and the next thing Louis knows, he’s eating dinner with Harry’s ex-boyfriend instead of proposing marriage to the man of his dreams. All through the meal, Louis hardly tastes a thing, cursing Andrew’s existence and trying to come up with another proposal plan. By the time dinner is over, Louis isn’t at all interested in dessert. On the way home, Harry is uncharacteristically quiet, and Louis is too, stewing in his annoyance. 

He opens the door to their apartment and screams. Niall, Liam, and Zayn are all three standing in the living room. They rush over, squealing with delight. 

“Let me see! Let me see! Congratulations!” Liam shouts, grabbing Harry’s left hand, while Niall and Zayn grin and peer over his shoulder at Harry’s empty ring finger. Louis shakes his head violently, mouthing the word ‘no’ over and over until Liam overcorrects. “On your meal! Let me see… Your leftovers?”

“Right… We didn’t bring any home.” Harry pulls his hand out of Liam’s grip. “It was good. A bit weird, um… We saw Andrew and wound up eating with him and his date.”

Niall, Liam, and Zayn stand in a silent line, blinking at them. Finally, Zayn speaks up and says, “Saw him on the subway last week.”

While Zayn distracts Harry, pulling him into the kitchen, Louis whispers to Niall and Liam, “He showed up and I couldn’t propose with him there! And now Harry’s definitely suspicious with you guys staring at his hand and yelling congrats. What the fuck do I do now?”

Liam scratches at his scruff and frowns. “Do you have another plan?” Louis shakes his head. “Okay, well, maybe you should try to throw him off a bit while you think of something.”

“What do you mean?” Louis asks.

Niall raises his hand as if Louis is going to call on him to answer, which he finally has to do. Then Niall says, “You’ll have to make it seem like you’re not quite ready for marriage. Maybe do that thing where you panic about commitment.”

“It’s not a thing I  _ do. _ It’s… Well, it’s how I used to  _ be  _ before Harry.” 

“It’ll be okay,” Liam reassures him and Louis knows he’ll figure it out. He doesn’t really need Liam or Niall to help with that. But maybe they could do something… 

“Could you maybe take Harry to lunch or something tomorrow while I plan?” Louis asks and Liam nods. Maybe they’ll take a trip to a B&B upstate next weekend.

——

Harry hops onto the stool next to Louis and grabs a slice of pizza. “Good idea. Haven’t been here in ages.”

“Me neither,” Louis says around a mouthful of hot pizza. 

“We should bring your sisters here. You know, like… next time they come to visit you,” Harry suggests.

Louis scoffs, hit with sudden inspiration. “I mean, yeah, if we’re still together then.”

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Harry turns to him, brows drawn together, and it takes all of Louis’ willpower not to fall over himself apologizing and explaining. 

He shrugs. “Don’t know. I mean, who knows what’ll happen. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.”

“Oh, um… I guess.” Harry nods, taking a bite of pizza and chewing thoughtfully. 

“Anything could happen, really,” Louis continues. “I mean, I’m not ready to settle down. I could move to Antarctica next week.”

“You’re ridiculous, Louis. We have a lease on our apartment.” Harry rolls his eyes, so Louis tries harder.

_ “You _ have a lease. I didn’t sign anything when I moved in,” Louis says dismissively.

Harry gasps quietly, reaching over and pinching Louis’ wrist. “Don’t be a dick. You’re not moving out.”

“Not right now, no.”

“What are you saying?” Harry asks, leaning back and scowling at him.

“Just that, you know, I’m sort of used to being alone. We haven’t been together that long. And living together’s a bit weird, isn’t it? It’s not like we’re married.”

“It was your idea to move in together,” Harry says, pushing his plate away and standing. “I don’t know what your deal is today, but I don’t have time to figure it out. I’ve got to meet Zayn.” 

Harry rushes off and Louis does a little fist pump. He’ll call that a success. No way does Harry think he’s going to propose  _ now. _

_ —— _

“I want it to be a surprise, Zayn!” Louis keeps his voice calm, but he hopes his urgency comes across. 

“It will be! He has no clue.” Zayn laughs quietly, gracefully stepping around a mess on the sidewalk to keep up with Louis. “I told him you’re ‘not likely to commit fully’ and that you’ve been talking about moving to Alaska.”

“He’s going to think I’m obsessed with cold weather. I told him I’ve been thinking about moving to Antarctica.” Louis shakes his head. “He’s going to flip when he finds out.”

“Yeah, it’ll be great.” Zayn holds the door to their building open and follows Louis inside. “Liam’s with him now.”

When they reach their floor, they split up in the hallway, Louis heading home to see Harry, who he’s missed all day. Avoiding him has been torture, but it’s the only way he could convince Harry that he’s not interested in marriage in order to surprise him with the proposal. Which should hopefully go off without a hitch tonight. But when he opens the door, he only finds Niall.

“Louis! Oh, thank god you’re here!” Niall leaps off the couch and hurries towards him, arms outstretched, phone in his hand. “Harry left his phone and he’s gone and I didn’t know what to do!”

“What?” Louis asks.

“Harry left! He left, Louis!” Niall shoves the phone in his face as if that might help explain and Louis grabs it. It’s definitely Harry’s phone.

“What are you—”

Liam and Zayn burst through the door and Liam says, “Louis! Harry’s gone!”

“I know!” Louis shouts. “But what does that mean?”

“We were too good! Apparently all three of us have been telling him that you’re a lifelong bachelor who hates commitment!” Liam waves his arms, clearly panicking. “All I said was one little thing about you not wanting to get married and he said that if you really don’t love him or want to be with him forever, that Andrew does!”

“Andrew?” Louis shrieks, ready to murder Harry’s ex-boyfriend. 

“Harry ran into him at the laundromat and Andrew told him he missed him and that he changed his mind. He said that he’s ready for marriage and wants to be with Harry again and Harry told him no, but then I fucked up and said the thing about you hating marriage as an institution, and he took off!”

“You think he’s going to tell Andrew he’ll take him back?” Zayn asks, chewing his nails.

Liam nods quickly and that’s all the confirmation Louis needs. He runs, taking the stairs two at a time, and sprinting down the sidewalk to the subway. The entire ride there, he’s jittery, biting his nails and cursing himself for being stupid. Of course he loves Harry. Of course he wants to be with him forever. Harry  _ knows  _ that. Or at least, he did. 

Breathless and panting, Louis bangs on the door to Andrew’s apartment, ringing the bell over and over between knocks until it swings open and he stumbles inside. 

“Hello, Louis,” Andrew says, stepping back to let him inside. “Come in.”

“Where is he? Where’s Harry?” Louis rushes around the apartment, checking under furniture and in closets, all while Andrew watches him. 

“He’s not here.”

A glass sits on a coaster on the coffee table, a few melting cubes of ice in the bottom. Louis sniffs it. “Tequila on the rocks! No one else drinks that. Where is he?”

“He left. He  _ was  _ here, but he—”

“You… You keep ruining everything!” Louis shouts, but carefully sets the glass back down on the coaster. “You had your chance with Harry. Now it’s my turn!”

Andrew hums and crosses his arms over his chest. “Harry said you’re not interested in commitment or marriage. That’s why he came here tonight because I can offer him that.”

“I am interested in commitment or marriage! Both actually! But you— I was going to propose that night at the restaurant, but then you showed up and ruined it. And he was suspicious so I was trying to throw him off! This isn’t… This isn’t supposed to happen.” Louis drops onto Andrew’s leather couch, burying his face in his hands. “I can’t lose him. Where is he?”

“He said he needed to figure some things out alone,” Andrew says, peering down at him. “You were really going to propose that night?”

Louis nods, standing and patting his pocket. He’s carried the ring with him since that night, just in case. Flipping open the top of the velvet box, Louis says, “Had it made for him. Needed it to be as special as he is.”

“It’s beautiful,” Andrew says. “Harry would love that.”

“Did you…” Louis clears his throat and asks, “Do you have a ring?”

Andrew shakes his head. “Nah. I hadn't thought that far ahead.”

“I hope I didn’t fuck this up completely,” Louis says.

“No way to know until you talk to him.” Andrew walks to the door and opens it. “You should go find him.”

Louis can’t bring himself to say anything else. The trip back home is subdued. He already feels like he’s ruined things, but there’s still a chance… 

The eight floors up to their apartment seem to take forever. At the top of the stairs, Niall is standing in the hall, shoving an overfilled bag down the trash chute. 

“Is he—” Louis starts, but stops at the shake of Niall’s head and the look of disappointment on his face. 

“He left. Packed a bag and said he’s going to stay with his mom for a while,” Niall explains with a sigh.

“But did you explain that it was all a lie?”

“Yeah, I did. I told him we were trying to throw him off. Told him everything. The whole plan. But he… He said it didn’t matter.” Finally the trash bag goes down and the metal door to the chute slams closed. Niall says, “He took his phone though, so at least you can call.”

“Shit.” Louis rubs at his eyes, trying to stop the tears before they start. “Shit! God, I really fucked up. I’ve got… When did he leave?”

“Maybe half an hour ago? I tried calling you, but…”

“Phone’s dead. Fuck!” Louis tugs at his hair, letting loose a growl. This is the stupidest thing he’s ever done, and that’s saying something considering he has about thirty years of experience doing stupid stuff. “I’ve got… I’ll borrow Zayn’s car and drive to Harry’s mom’s house and beg him to take me back. God, I can’t believe this.” 

Facing the door, Louis closes his eyes and blinks back tears, turning the knob and walking inside. The entire apartment is dark, candles flickering on every available surface. In the middle of the living room stands Harry, still dressed in the clothes he wore when he left for work that morning. Louis looks back at Niall, who gives him a salute before shutting the apartment door and leaving them alone.

“What…” Louis doesn’t know how to finish his question. All he wants to do is sweep Harry into his arms and never let go, but he doesn’t feel like he’ll be allowed. 

“You wanted it to be a surprise. Niall told me everything, so I thought I’d give it a shot,” Harry says, hands clasped in front of him. He steps a little closer, so Louis does the same, inhaling sharply when Harry lowers himself down to one knee. “I never thought I’d be so lucky to fall in love with my best friend, but I—” Harry chokes out a sob and claps his hand over his mouth, shoulders shaking as he tries to continue. “I… I didn’t know what… I…” 

Louis drops to his knees, ignoring the pain and grabbing both of Harry’s hands. “I’m so sorry, baby. I almost… I love you. I love you so much it’s… It’s horrible, really. I don’t know what I’d do without you and I… I can’t believe I almost had to find out. Even the few hours today, thinking that I’d lost you, were almost unbearable. I don’t ever want to feel that way again. I… I love you. And I thought that I had to propose in some fantastic way, but…” He lets go of Harry and pats his pocket, pulling out the ring box.

“Marry me,” Harry says before Louis can find the words, scooting closer on his knees so that they’re almost touching. “Sorry if I’m ruining your proposal again, but… Marry me? Be my husband and live with me forever and have a family with me and just… be with me. For the rest of my life.”

“Yeah. Yes,” Louis says, tears rolling down his cheeks as he fumbles to slide the ring on Harry’s finger. “But you marry me too. You have to marry me and love me and forgive me for… for all of this?”

Harry nods, lower lip caught between his teeth, and Louis reaches up to wipe his tears away. Quietly, Harry snorts and says, “I knew you weren’t moving to Alaska.”

“Antarctica,” Louis needlessly corrects. 

“Whatever,” Harry says, wrapping his arms around Louis’ neck and pulling him into a kiss. 


End file.
